Election decisions are imminent: Düren is preparing for the local elections!

Election decisions are imminent: Düren is preparing for the local elections!

The political mood in Düren is getting hotter because the local elections are just around the corner. Citizens will be able to cast their votes on September 14, 2025, and the election proposals for the city council election were recently approved by the Düren city election committee. The election committee met on July 16, 2023 under the leadership of Niels-Christian Schaffert to make the relevant decisions. Returning officer Stephan Schlaak was represented.

A total of eleven parties and voter groups as well as one individual candidate have stood for the city council election. Approved mayoral candidates are Frank Peter Ullrich from the SPD and Georg Hamm from the CDU. However, an election application by Prakash Bala, who wanted to run as an individual candidate, did not receive the necessary support and was not approved. In terms of electoral districts, the CDU is entering the race as the strongest force, followed by the SPD and the Greens. However, not all parties field candidates in all 25 electoral districts.

Candidates and parties at a glance

According to the current resolutions, the following parties and voter groups are permitted to run in the local elections:

• CDU
• SPD
• Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
• AfD
• FDP
• BfD
• Die Linke
• Piraten
• PdH (Partei der Humanisten)
• Vision Düren
• ZD (Zukunft Deutschland)

Another individual candidate, Dieter Harf, will specifically seek votes in constituency 15. The election committee also approved proposals for the election of the Integration Council that come from various cultural and integration policy groups.

Niels-Christian Schaffert appealed to the candidates and parties to conduct a fair election campaign. This could be challenging given the emotional issues that are often the focus. The elections are not only a form of political participation, but also a reflection of local concerns and challenges.

District elections in the Düren district

But it's not just the city of Düren that is preparing for elections. On July 10, 2025, the district election committee approved the nominations for the district council and district council elections. Four candidates are running for the office of district administrator: Dr. Ralf Nolten (CDU), Maximilian Dichant (SPD), Andreas Krischer (Greens) and Bernd Essler (AfD). Nine parties and voter groups are also represented in these elections, which means that the competition is also gaining momentum at the district level.

Overview of the participating parties and voter groups for the district elections:

• CDU
• SPD
• Grüne
• AfD
• FDP
• UWG
• Die Linke
• BSW (Wahlvorschläge für alle 27 Wahlbezirke und Reserveliste)
• Volt (Wahlvorschläge für zehn Wahlbezirke und Reserveliste)

The district returning officer Ferdinand Aßhoff called on all election candidates to conduct a fair election campaign. If none of the candidates receive an absolute majority, a runoff election between the two strongest candidates will take place on September 28th.

The upcoming local elections are important in many ways. They move within a framework that not only reflects local issues, but also feels the pulse of the citizens. Whoever brings the best arguments and the strongest ideas into the election campaign on September 14, 2025 could end up being ahead and receive an important mandate for Düren or the district. The elections are all about participation and vibrant democracy.

For further information on the electoral committee's nominations see Düren.de and for more about the district council candidates and parties, look up Düren Magazine. Additional background information on the local elections in Germany can be found at bpb.de.